Speech enabled devices, such as smart-speakers, personal assistants, home management systems, and the like, are configured to perform actions in response to spoken user requests and commands. It has recently been discovered that these devices are vulnerable to ultrasonic attacks which can pose a threat to the security of their operation. In some such scenarios, ultrasonic signals, which are inaudible to humans, can be broadcast into the environment from various sources. These ultrasonic signals can cause the device to wake from a sleep state and act on commands embedded in the ultrasonic signals, without the user's knowledge.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent in light of this disclosure.